Lost Identity
by The Lori C
Summary: How could Nadia be expected to go back to a past that she doesn't remember?
1. Notes

NOTES:

On the surface, Nadia Richards seemed to be an ordinary woman with an ordinary life; a job she loved, good friends, even a male buddy that seemed to be watching out for both her and her interests at every turn.

But it would all begin to unravel when someone from Nadia's past would track her down and come back into her life—a past that had been long erased from her mind when she was another person with another name.


	2. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

Paul shoved a picture across the desk to the two detectives in front of him while they all sat in a room in the Missing Persons Unit. "That's her most recent one."

The woman detective studied it; it was a photo of a pretty brunette that was a little plump, standing outside of an arena that didn't look familiar to either of the detectives.

The male detective spoke up after glancing at the photo his partner held in her hand. "So tell me," he began, "why did it take you three days to report this lady missing?"

Paul bit his lip, having an indication what the detective was suspecting. "She has these…_strange_…states she goes into when she's stressed or fought with someone or whatever. There's been times she's gone out of the house and not come back, and then either I or one of her girlfriends will get a phone call that she's either in some hospital somewhere or she ended up someplace and didn't remember how she got there. I just thought that this time wouldn't be any different."

"Yet you waited _three days_," the woman detective stressed. "Anything could have happened to her by now."

"In any case," her partner added, "we'll keep this on file and enter it into the database. Kind of check with the hospitals around the area and see if they have anyone fitting her description that has been admitted the last few days, and maybe try to get some leads in the process. Here is my card; if the lady happens to show up or contact you in the meantime, get in touch with me or my partner here."

Paul nodded, taking the card. "Thanks. I might ask around a bit too. Surely someone's seen her."

_Meanwhile, in another state:_

"Dad, stop the car!" the man called from the back seat while traveling with his parents on their way home from a vacation in Florida. "There's something wrong with that woman!"

"Rick, she's probably on drugs and a typical hitchiker," the older man snorted.

"I don't think so, George," the woman beside him said. "I think Rick may be right; that girl could need some help."

He grunted. "All right, but if it turns out to be some kind of killer, don't say I didn't warn you two."

They pulled over, the three of them getting out of the car and heading cautiously toward the woman, who appeared to be disoriented. She was barefoot, hair askew, and appeared to have been wearing the same clothes for at least two to three days.

"Miss?" the older woman asked gently. "Are you all right?"

The younger woman jumped, appearing ready to bolt for her life, until Rick calmed her down, assuring her they were there to help

"I….I don't know where I am," the younger woman said softly.

"You're on the Interstate," George said, going from annoyed to concerned. "You could get hit by someone and get hurt, little lady."

"I need to go somewhere…."

"Home? Where do you live?" Rick asked.

"I don't know…..I can't remember."

"Well, what's your name? We can find someone that knows where you live that way."

"I'm sorry….I don't remember."

"She's in trouble, George," the woman muttered to her husband.

He nodded. "I know, Julie. She should get some kind of help. Let's get her in the car and find the nearest hospital. Perhaps someone there could get to the bottom of what is wrong. You two were right; this isn't a druggie."

_A few hours later:_

"I don't think either of those fucking detectives believed me," Paul sniffed. "The way they acted, they think _I _had something to do with Petra disappearing. Even the neighbors are giving me looks like I'm some kind of criminal."

"Paul, dude, you and I know better, and that's all that counts," Brian reassured him. "Wherever she is, someone has probably found her, took her somewhere, and she'll probably call from there once she's gotten her senses back. Always happened before whether it was a few hours or a day."

"Thing is, Spanky, she's never been gone _this_ long without anyone hearing from or seeing her."

"Whoa, that is weird. Pet's got friends, and people she works with; you'd think _someone_ would have seen her."

"Yeah, even her boss chewed my ass before I told him the situation. He's going to look for her too."

"Wow, you know this is major when her asshole boss is stepping in to help."

"Yeah, shocked the shit out of me too."

"For all it's worth, I can get word around that she's missing and have people call you or those two cops if she turns up."

"Thanks, Spanky; come to think of it, I could use all the help I could get."


	3. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

_One year later, in Cincinnati:_

"Nadia, you're on in five," the program director at the radio station reminded her.

"Thanks, Jimmy," she said cheerfully, quickly taking her seat with a stack of CD's.

She had been at the station now for a little over nine months; since that day the Richards had picked her up on the highway, Nadia's life had turned around.

She hadn't remembered them at first while in the hospital, nor had she remembered how she'd gotten on that highway in Ohio. Considering how things had turned out, it really didn't matter now.

Nadia had been Jane Doe then; neither her DNA nor fingerprints had turned up any vital information on any databases; the woman had apparently not gotten as much as a traffic ticket, much less had gone to any correctional facility where both DNA and fingerprints would have been registered.

A sketch of her had appeared in the local paper and even Rick Richards, a popular young anchorman, had managed to put the Jane Doe story on the evening news, but in spite of all those efforts, no one had come forward to identify her.

George and Julie Richards, Rick's parents, knew Jane Doe had to go somewhere after leaving the hospital, and they weren't about to see her get lost in the shuffle on the streets or in a shelter somewhere, so they had taken the liberty of bringing her into their home, a surrogate daughter of sorts.

In the meanwhile, she needed an identity; it hadn't been an easy feat, but George, a retired government worker, had pulled some strings.

They had called her Nadia, after Julie's late mother, and George had helped in getting her the proper documentation, even listing her birthday as the day they had found her and an estimated year of birth, guessing Nadia was somewhere in her early thirties.

As a result, Jane Doe, age unknown, became Nadia Julie Richards, age thirty two.

Rick would become her best friend; it had been he that had gotten Nadia the job at the radio station that was affiliated with his TV one. He discovered she had a lovely voice for radio, so when the four to seven weekday slot became open when the previous announcer departed for Dallas, Rick threw Nadia's name into the hat, and she was hired.

Now as she prepared to go on the air, Nadia arranged the music on her play list accordingly, along with the ubiquitous commercial tracks that came with the job. The station had to pay their bills somehow.

Even after all this time, she still couldn't recall any of her past, but at this point, she didn't really care anymore.

_In Austin:_

It had been a year since Petra's disappearance, but Paul could still remember it to the present day.

They had argued, but he couldn't remember the details of it now. It hadn't been long after that when Petra had gone and locked herself in her room, not coming out for hours.

He had gone for a drive, and had come home to find her gone. The neighbors next door had told Paul at the time that they had seen Pet leave barefoot and presumed she was just going out for a few minutes.

He too had assumed the same thing, being he had seen the pair of Pet's shoes right inside the door, and her purse—still containing her cash, debit card, and all the bric a brac women carried in those things—was still there as well. She couldn't have gone too far without them.

Petra's dental floss was still in the bathroom; it was a known fact that she never went anywhere for more than a day without her dental floss. When it came to dental health, Pet was beyond anal retentive.

When she hadn't come back that night; he was concerned, but figured she had met up with one of her friends, and still angry with him, had gone to the friend's place to cool off and perhaps get in a rant or two, and perhaps would slip back in later.

But she still hadn't come home the next morning, or the next two days following that.

On the third day, Paul had reported her missing, and dealt with suspicious stares for the longest time, from the cops all the way down to Petra's closest friends. Her disappearance may not have been discussed very much anymore—at least out loud—but he was convinced that the whispers of him having something to do with Pet being gone were still going.

And finding that damn note on Pet's computer after she'd disappeared hadn't helped much. It had been from one of her friends in California:

_Petty,_

_I'm not trying to interfere or anything, so take this as you want._

_It's obvious you have a lot of feelings for Paul, but don't let your feelings cloud what's really going on here... please._

I know what's going on here... don't be a fool.

_I'm inclined to agree with some of the comments made by Stephen, and I'm sorry if you find anything I say anything offensive. But as Stephen told you, you come across as a very intelligent, talented woman that deserves so much better and I don't want to see you being taken for a ride._

It was VERY obvious with his last girlfriend's situation and it's very obvious now with yours...please guard your heart. He isn't worth it. Walk out that door and don't go back while you still have some dignity left. 

_I'm sorry._

_Ellen_

Don't be a fool? What was really going on? _Dignity?_

What was this woman talking about?

Sure, there may have been some love between him and Spanky, but Paul would have liked to have thought it certainly didn't change his feelings for Petra.

And who the HELL was Stephen and why was he and this Ellen planting ideas in Pet's head?

_Was that really why she walked out and never came home on that May night?_

And a year later, Petra Jay Fahey was still missing.

Though Pet's case was now a cold case one at the police department, Paul had never stopped looking for her. He not only had to get her back, but also prove once and for all he had _nothing _to do with her being missing in the first place.


	4. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

As much as her new friends and colleagues in Ohio loved Nadia, there were at least a few that noticed that she didn't talk about her past or any family outside of Rick and his parents, which were the closest to a family she had presently known.

Unbeknown to those around her, Nadia didn't speak of her early life or even her recent past, because she could recall none of it; but she never told anyone that. Instead, she would say she liked, for the most part, to keep her personal life and her past private.

Besides, it was the present that really mattered, and Nadia enjoyed her life just the way it was. She was doing well at the radio station, now had her own place to live, and a circle of friends she saw on a regular basis when not hanging out with the Richards.

Today, she would be making an appearance for the station; it was one of those classic car shows in which the station was one of the sponsors. Nadia wasn't really sure how she would go over—this was going to be her first public appearance since joining the station several months ago—but being she was one to always take one for the team, Nadia agreed to do it.

Jimmy Steele, the program director, liked Nadia; the lady not only had a great voice just as Rick Richards had convinced him, she wasn't a diva like quite a few of his other on-air personalities were.

She was always open to new ideas and suggestions, took feedback to heart, was always finding ways to improve, showed up for work on time, and didn't act as if she was above making appearances. To Jimmy, she was the perfect employee.

"So what do I do at this thing?" Nadia asked him about the car show appearance.

"You'll be in a booth," Jimmy replied. "You'll do your show live from there in your regular time slot, talk to a few people, give out some prizes. Maybe an autograph or two if you're asked for it. Nothing too difficult."

"Wow, sounds like another day at the office," she smiled.

"You'll enjoy yourself, Nad. I've done a few of these things and they're pretty fun. You get a few loons now and then, but that comes with any job."

"True," she agreed. "Just let me get my gear and I'll be on my way."

_Meanwhile:_

"I can't believe you're still on this shit after a little over a year, Paul," Brian complained. "Just about everyone else was done with this ages ago, and who's to say Pet is either dead or somewhere where she doesn't _want_ to be found?"

"She's alive," Paul replied. "I just have this feeling she is. Still, Petra couldn't have gone far without anything outside of what she had on her back when she left here that night."

"Much as I hate to say it, have you even considered that she just decided to split and start over somewhere else, perhaps with _someone _else? And honestly, how many people go missing every year, never to be heard from or found again? That's most likely Pet's case. Really, dude, you got to let this go and move on. If the cops or anyone else couldn't find her, chances are no one will. Not even you."

"Forget it. I'm not going to spend the rest of my life wondering what could have been if I gave up trying to find her. And I know there's still people out there giving me looks like I had something to do with Pet being gone. I don't give a shit about that anymore, but I'd like one chance to bring her home and _prove_ I had nothing to do with it once and for all."

"Good luck with that. But if Petty hasn't turned up by now, it's likely she never will."


	5. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

"So you really think you could track her down?" Paul asked the private investigator. He wasn't too keen on the idea of hiring these types of people, but all other options had seemed to hit a dead end.

"Well, I can't guarantee anything, buddy; the lady's been gone for a little over a year. Should have come sooner instead of leaving everything to the cops. We know how they tend to fall down on the job with these kinds of things. However difficult this could be, I'm not saying it's impossible. I've had success with even harder situations."

"You'll try and find Petra then?"

"Hell yes; I've always been up for a challenge. My secretary outlined the fees, right?"

Paul nodded. "How much it takes and how long it takes, it doesn't matter, I just want a solid answer once and for all."

The PI shook his hand. "Then consider this case open, effective right now. I will get right on it."

_Meanwhile:_

"How did the appearance go last night?" Jimmy asked. "I hear you did quite well."

"Jimmy, it was incredible! And to think I wasn't crazy about the prospect of doing a show live, but I really enjoyed myself more than I thought I would," Nadia replied. "The crowd was really great, no problems at all, and it was a pleasant change to take requests live instead of over the phone for a change."

"So I'm guessing I can put you on the list for future projects like this?"

Nadia smiled. "Count me in as always."

"Good, because there is a fund raiser for a women's shelter coming up this weekend. Who better for me to send for it than you? Gina and Bonnie seemed to have no interest."

"Sounds like a good cause, and I'm not doing anything this weekend anyway. What better way to spend it?"

"Sure," Jimmy grinned. "Raise money for a charity and get paid at the same time."

"Perhaps," Nadia said. "Right now, I need to get myself together; I have to be on the air in half an hour, in case you forgot."

_Later that afternoon:_

Thomas Windsor studied the last photo taken of Petra Fahey before her disappearance over a year ago, wondering what woman would walk out the front door with only the clothes on her back, never to return?

He had been a private investigator for over twenty years, working cases that were everything from skip tracing to gathering evidence for divorces to missing persons—but he never had anything like this one.

And what guy waited a _year _to hire a PI to find his missing girlfriend? Granted, the cops hadn't seemed to have done much, as Windsor noticed when he reviewed the cold case file, but Windsor wondered if the kid that had hired him for this job was being totally straight with him.

There was something about this case that seemed……well, _off._

Nevertheless, Windsor began working with the information in front of him, figuring the best case scenario would be finding the lady alive and well somewhere, wanting nothing to do with her old life or the guy that had tried to find her; the worst case would be that she was most likely dead, and perhaps in an unmarked grave, never to be truly identified without some long, difficult work. It had happened before.

He began by checking into the NCIC database, turning up a missing person's report on Petra Jay Fahey, entered three days after she had initially disappeared. There was no criminal record of any fingerprints that matched, or any DNA profile.

She also had no military history or any record that she had applied for a job and/or worked for any government agency.

Finding dead ends outside of the missing person's report, Windsor then began checking around area hospitals for medical records that could be related to Petra. He had come across several dead ends there as well, until he'd gotten a hit on one of the major hospitals.

The last time she had visited a hospital had been in the emergency room only six months before her disappearance, for a broken collarbone. According to the record Windsor was able to obtain, the woman had fallen during a hike on one of the trails with her boyfriend, who had brought her to the hospital; it had been the same kid that had hired Windsor for this case.

Nothing incriminating there, the PI thought.

Still, he wondered what the guy was hiding, and if Windsor was going to find the woman–or at least where her body was buried–he needed to get some field work done. He certainly wasn't progressing there in the office.

Picking up his jacket, he informed Betty, his secretary, that he would be out of the office for a few hours. Now the challenge was really going to begin.


	6. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

After several weeks, Tom Windsor had a good feeling that he had a solid lead, but wasn't ready to tell the kid yet until he knew for sure.

It had been his son, Robby, that had found it, really. Robby had initially wanted to be a cop, but when he'd seen the type of work his father did, suddenly being a PI like the old man had been more appealing.

During his breaks from college, Robby worked with his father on gathering important information, and like the previous day, occasionally came up with a lead.

This one had prompted Windsor to scout it out; problem was, the lead was all the way in Ohio. He would have to book a flight to check it out for himself.

Betty had been ahead of him; she had two plane tickets to Cincinnati for him and Robby when Windsor had returned from lunch.

"You two really should look at that as soon as possible before you tell the young man, boss," she added. "We really don't want to get his hopes up if it isn't Miss Fahey."

"I know, Betty," he replied. "And thank you for booking the earliest flights."

She nodded. "I thought the sooner you could get there, the better chance of perhaps knowing for sure."

"Absolutely. And when Robby comes back, tell him I'll be in the back office looking over some things. And call my wife to tell her to pack me a suitcase."

_In Cincinnati:_

"And that was an oldie from way back in the 1970's," Nadia announced. "I'm sure there may be a few of you out there that remember that. Now it's time to pay some bills, but Nadia for the Ride Home will return shortly."

Flipping over to a commercial, she gathered the next set of music CD's she had on her play list. There was still an hour to go on the show, and she always liked playing a mix of music, both from mainstream artists to the local indy scene.

The independent acts loved her; Nadia was the only on-air personality that would both play their music and, once in awhile, come see one of their acts. Like Jimmy, several acts had found her a warm and approachable person with an open mind.

The previous evening, she had caught the act of a band she particularly liked; after the show, she had asked if they had any CD's of their music. Of course, they had, and thrilled to find out who she was, had handed Nadia a copy with alacrity. She was now about to put it on the next set of music she planned to play on the air.

But the whole night hadn't been without incident; for some odd reason, Nadia had felt someone had been watching her. She wasn't sure where the feeling had come from, or if she was just being paranoid, but the feeling never escaped her the entire night.

Besides, Nadia thought with a small smile as she was about to go back on the air, who would really want to be doing that with me when there are _prettier, younger _women around?

_In Austin:_

"Dude, I cannot believe you went off and hired a private dick," Brian said when they had returned home from a weekend of house shows. "I'm telling you, the girl is gone for good. You need to get over it. And do you know how much those guys cost?"

Paul nodded. "If it means finally getting peace of mind, I'll do about anything at any cost to try and find Pet. She could be lost, hurt somewhere—"

"Or the most logical explanation, _dead. _Seriously, man, it's been over a year. You heard a few of the other guys; if she hasn't been found by now, chances are good she won't be."

"People have said the same thing about a few other cases, only to have missing people turn up."

"Yeah, nine dead to one actually living. Your point?"

"I'm not giving up until I get some solid answers. I'm going to check in with Tom Windsor."

"Wait…_Tom Windsor? _Holy fuck, dude, why didn't you say that was who you hired? He's one of the best in the country. Found hurricane victims that were lost and shit. Even dug up some stuff for a couple of high-profile, bloody divorces. You're batting with the big leagues, man."

"So I've been told. Anyway, let me check and see if he found anything new."

Paul dialed Windsor's number, which Betty answered on the other end. She informed him that Mr. Windsor was on a flight to check out a lead on the case.

"There's a _lead?" _he asked hopefully.

"Possibly, but I can't say for sure. Mr. Windsor and his son are on their way to Cincinnati as we speak to have a closer look for themselves."

"Okay, but _Cincinnati? _Pet resided here. Why is he headed to Ohio?"

"We know, but Mr. Windsor likes to check out every tip that could be a solid lead. He's done it many times. I will have him call you if anything should arise while they are there, though."

"Please do, Betty. I don't care how bizarre it is, I'd like to stay posted."

_In flight, Tom and Robby Windsor:_

"I've been looking at this photo you took at that club, Robby," Windsor addressed his son. "And for some reason, I can't get over how much the person in it resembles the missing Fahey girl."

"That's what got my attention, Pop," Robby agreed. "I'd originally gone to that club with Tammy before I was due back home, but when I saw that chick, I had to whip out the camera phone and have you see for yourself."

"Of course, everyone has a look alike somewhere in the world, but we'd never know if we didn't check it out further. By the way, were you able to get anything else on this woman?"

Robby nodded. "Bartender at the place said she was a radio personality." He gave the name of the station. "He also told me she comes there sometimes to check out bands and get CD's to play their music on her show. Other than that and that half ass picture, nothing."

"It's something to start on," Windsor replied. "Once we land, we're going to check out that radio station."


	7. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

The two men sat outside of the radio station, knowing what time the possible subject of their lead would be leaving. Windsor had asked a few people around town about the woman in Robby's picture, to have her identified as a "Nadia Richards."

From there, he and Robby had found where the station was located and now they sat, watching, and Robby with camera in hand, complete with zoom lens to get a better shot, and Windsor with his trusty binoculars, should the woman finally show.

"Let's hope security doesn't spot us and chase us off in the meantime," he said out loud. "Otherwise, who knows when we will find this girl again."

"We're back far enough so no one notices us," Robby pointed out. "Still, it seems to be taking forever. The last person I talked to said her show is over at seven. It's 7:15. What the hell is she doing?"

"Spoke too soon, son," Windsor said, spying someone in the binoculars. "Looks like her now. See if you can get some shots."

"Sure, Pop. From this angle, it shouldn't be a problem."

Robby snapped away, catching Nadia in every frame possible; they would be able to take the photos back to Texas to study them further, but for now, the question remained of whether or not this was the woman they were seeking.

"Pop," Robby said after taking a final picture. "You've been quiet. What's so fascinating that you've been looking through those things for the last five minutes?"

"Robert," Windsor finally said. "I have a very strong reason to believe we have indeed found our client's lost lady. Looks like we may have some good news for the kid when we get back to Texas after all."

_Meanwhile:_

Nadia headed home from the station, thinking about how she would be able to relax at home for once. She looked forward to a long bubble bath and perhaps a night of TV; no distractions or anything else. Just Nadia time, unless Rick stopped over like he did now and again when the TV station wasn't running him ragged with some breaking story.

She hoped this would also be one night she wouldn't have the odd dreams that had been happening for the last several weeks. Nadia hadn't told Rick, his parents, or even anyone else about them, but the dreams had disturbed her nevertheless.

Nadia wasn't sure what to make of them; they were always about her being somewhere she had never seen before, people she'd never known, yet those same faces appeared in her dreams nearly every night.

Two men were always conspicuous; one was a small, blond man, the other a tall man with tan skin and dark hair, both attractive yet unfamiliar to Nadia. Why would she be dreaming of two total strangers nearly every night?

She made a mental note when she got home that night to contact a dream analyst to figure it all out. In the meantime, she hoped she wasn't going completely crazy.

_In Austin:_

"You hear from the PI yet?" Brian asked.

"For someone that was totally against me still trying to find Pet, you're sure being damn nosy about it lately," Paul replied. "And no, Windsor hasn't called. I'm taking it that either he hasn't gotten anything yet or hit another dead end."

"Another?"

"Yeah, he's in Ohio," Paul nodded.

"What the fuck is he doing _up there _if she was missing from _here?"_

"Some crazy lead he'd gotten and is checking out."

"Emphasis on 'crazy.' She walked out the door a year ago with the clothes on her back and no shoes. How the hell could she have gotten to Ohio?"

"Your guess is as good as mine, Spanky. But since he's being paid to check out shit, I guess he's got to cover this too."

"I hope this is worth all the money you're blowing on it, dude. Windsor ain't cheap."

"You think I don't know that? Better to spend it and possibly get some answers than to sit back and wonder what might have been."

"Yeah, good point. But, at least for your sake, this will be worth it all in the end."


	8. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

"I called you in today because there's a strong possibility that lead in Ohio checked out," Tom Windsor told Paul a few days later.

"You found Petra? Is she—"

"Can't say for sure yet. However, I need for you to look at these pictures we'd taken while up there." Windsor dropped a stack of photos in front of him.

Paul studied them carefully, not sure what to make of them at first, before he'd come across one that drew his interest.

"Holy shit," he muttered.

"Something wrong?" Windsor asked.

"_This is her! _There's no question at all that the woman in these pictures is Pet. I can tell by the way she stands in one of them. That's exactly the way Pet always stood. And her face in this picture…I'd know those eyes anywhere."

"Are you sure?"

"I'd bet my left nut this is her!"

"You know, kid, I had my suspicions too the first time I saw the lady cross the lot. I wasn't sure myself at first, then I looked at that picture you gave me and then the woman in that lot. The resemblance was uncanny. I'd like to think we have found your lost lady."

"I believe you did. But is she really okay? What's she doing and—"

"Well, she's obviously alive. Working at a radio station up in Cincinnati and from what my son was told, is doing very well with it. But I must warn you, she's under another name."

"Another name? _Why?"_

"I have no idea. Maybe personal reasons on her part. No one really knows her background or story up there; apparently she doesn't talk about it. Not even her childhood. Who the hell doesn't talk about their childhood now and then?"

"Someone that doesn't remember it," Paul replied, now having an idea what was going on. "When Pet goes into one of her 'states', she loses all memory of anything in her life. Sometimes, she doesn't even know her own name."

"Wait, are you saying this lady has amnesia?" Windsor was becoming more intrigued by the minute. This kid could be on to something.

Paul nodded. "Dissociative amnesia. Usually when she was stressed or faced with something traumatic, Pet would go into one of those states where certain information was blocked out, usually leaving her unable to remember important personal information."

He then had a thought. "You know what? I have a show scheduled in Cincinnati in a couple of weeks. If I could track her down, her memories might resurface after being triggered by seeing me."

"Or maybe not," Windsor pointed out. "Look, kid, do you really want to put yourself through that? Sure, there's no question now that this is the missing lady, but it's been over a year, and things could have changed in that time. You might not have the outcome you could be expecting."

"I know. But that's a chance I'm willing to take."


	9. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

_Two weeks later in Cincinnati:_

Paul had arrived earlier in the day for Raw; being there would be plenty of time throughout the day before he'd have to report to the arena, he figured there was no better time than to search for Petra.

He had one of the photos Tom Windsor had brought back to Texas, which he'd shown around various spots in town, one man nodding and smiling when he recognized the woman in the picture.

"Yeah," he said to Paul. "That's Nadia. She has a real good radio show during the week in the late afternoons. You a friend of hers?"

_Nadia? _Paul thought, puzzled. Either this guy was confusing Pet with someone else or she really did have another name.

"Um….I am sort of …an old friend," he replied. "I haven't seen her for over a year."

The man nodded again and gave Paul the station address. "Why don't you pop by down there? I bet she'll sure be glad to see you."

Paul was elated with the information he'd gotten with practically no effort; now the next step was to go to Pet and possibly bring her home.

He had vowed that if she was ever found, he'd treat her even better than before. Maybe make some changes and let her be a little more involved with his career. Anything she would want would be hers. And now it looked as if he was about to keep those promises.

_Meanwhile:_

"I have to admit it was rather odd to be doing an earlier show," Nadia smiled at Jimmy. "But then again, perhaps it's better to work outside my comfort zone sometimes."

"I'm just glad you could cover for Bonnie today, since she had to get her appendix out," he replied. "Don't worry about your show; I'm going to cover it tonight. After a great job you did today, I think getting off a bit early was well earned."

"Jimmy, you are just too good to me," she laughed.

"Probably because you're one of my best employees," he grinned. "Now get out of here and have a little time for yourself. You don't seem to get much of that nowadays."

"No I don't," Nadia agreed, "and I am going to take advantage of the time that I do, starting right now. I'll see you here tomorrow night."

"Don't do anything I wouldn't do!" Jimmy called teasingly as they said their goodbyes.

"As if!" Nadia laughed again before heading out the door.

Lost in thought as she headed toward the bus stop (Rick had the car that day to do an appearance up in Canton), Nadia didn't see the dark man that had been watching her before quickly heading in her direction.

"Miss?" Paul asked once he had reached her.

Nadia turned around with no sign of recognition on her face. "Yes?"

"My God," he breathed. "Petra, it _is_ you."

"I'm sorry, sir," Nadia shook her head, "you have me mistaken for someone else."

He knew those dark blue eyes like the back of his hand. "Pet, it's all right. It's me."

She shook her head. "No, I'm not who you think I am. I'm Nadia. Please go away."

"You don't remember me?" He was disappointed despite Windsor warning him that something like this could happen.

"No. My name is Nadia, not what you've called me. I don't know you."

"Everything okay, Nadia?" a man's voice boomed a short distance away.

She nodded. "I'm fine, Gino," she replied to the security guard.

"You sure? I can call some people if there's a problem."

"I was just leaving," Paul said, knowing he wouldn't be able to get anywhere now.

"I'll walk you to your stop," Gino offered as they watched Paul walk off.

"Don't worry about it," Nadia told him. "I don't think he's the first person to mistake me for someone else. But this was just……strange."

"How so?"

"I don't know; perhaps he was so insistent that I was this other girl, like I'd known him. I'll admit he _looked _a little familiar, but I didn't know him like he thought."

"Mistaken identity," Gino nodded. "It happens to the best of us. Either that or some ruse to hit on you. Come on; I don't want you missing that bus and end up being bother by some other nut job. Next you might get some loose screw that thinks he's your husband or something."

"Yes," Nadia said, nodding. "Thank you, Gino."


	10. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

"I knew deep down this would happen," Paul sighed.

"She didn't remember you," Brian guessed.

"It went beyond that. There was not only no sign of recognition in her eyes, she also denied she was Pet and told me to go away."

"Damn, she is way gone."

"Maybe if I'd hired someone like Windsor when she first went missing—"

"Dude, you didn't know what was happening. Whether it was when she took off or even now, chances are good you'd gotten the same result. Don't be so hard on yourself."

"I kind of wonder sometimes what would have happened if we hadn't argued on that last night."

"Then there would have been something else that would have set her off. Come on, PL, we have a match later tonight. You got to focus."

Paul raked a hand through his hair. "Yeah. But I also was curious how I can get her to remember something. We've been through this before and something always brought back her memory."

"This is the longest she's been like this, dude."

"Yeah, which is going to make this a lot tougher."

"Hey," Brian said, as if he realized something. "Is the last therapist she had still in town?"

"Come to think of it, he is. You think he could offer any insight into this?"

"It's worth a shot. Gary's always gotten through to her before."

"Sure, but now there's one problem," Paul pointed out. "Getting her back home first."

_Meanwhile:_

Though Gino had seen her to the bus safely, Nadia couldn't seem to get the man that had accousted her earlier out of her mind. He had _seemed_ a little familiar, but she wasn't sure where she had seen him before—if she indeed had.

Then about midway home, it had come to her. A man that had looked just like the person who had stopped her and called her by another name had resembled one of the two men in those odd dreams Nadia had been having recently.

_Had this encounter also been a dream after all? _

No, of course not, she thought. I just came from doing the show for Bonnie; how could I have dreamed all of that?

But why would this man approach Nadia and address her by such an odd name? He had to be an out of towner; practically everyone in Cincinnati knew her from her show, if not from the places in town she often frequented.

"Miss?" someone asked, causing Nadia to jump a little.

Oh God, did _he_ get on this bus too?

"Yes?" she asked cautiously, not looking up at first.

"I'm sorry I startled you," the teenage boy said. "But I was wondering if I could get your autograph, Miss Richards."

Nadia sighed with relief, and then smiled widely. It was only a fan who was handing her a pen and notebook.

"But of course," she replied graciously, taking the items. "What is your name?"

"Jason," the boy said.

"All right, Jason," Nadia responded. "Here you are."

"Thank you, Miss. You did a great show today. I got to hear some over lunch."

"Thank you. Bonnie should be back in a few days, and then I'll be back to my regular show. Have a good afternoon."

"You too. Thanks again for the autograph. You really are awesome, just like my dad says."

Nadia smiled again as she watched the teenager scamper back to his friends. I should ride the bus more often, she thought, provided there was a guarantee she wouldn't be accosted again by anyone strange like she had that afternoon.

As she got closer to home and saw that Rick was there, Nadia began to feel better to the point where she'd all but forgotten about the disturbing encounter she'd had earlier.

Smiling broadly once again, she got off the bus and eagerly headed toward her best friend.


	11. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

"What's all this shit?" Brian asked. "Jesus, no wonder your luggage weighed so much I thought you were carrying a body."

"A few things I thought might help jar Petra's memory," Paul replied, sorting through some photographs and a few small items.

"You're determined to get through to her, aren't you? Dude, you said she didn't remember who you were."

He held up a hairbrush. "This was her favorite brush; she seldom went anywhere without the thing. Maybe if she recognizes this and a few pictures I have here, maybe it might–emphasis on _might_–trigger something."

"Good luck with that, PL. But you can't say Windsor didn't warn you about something like this happening."

"I know, but one way or another, there has to be a way to get her back. And I'm not giving up."

_Meanwhile:_

"You've seemed kind of pensive since running into that guy the other day that Gino told me about," Jimmy said. "Care to discuss it?"

Nadia nodded. "It's just the strangest thing. I don't think I ever knew him, but at the same time, he looked so familiar. I know it doesn't make sense, but I had been having these dreams over the last several weeks—"

"Whoa, wait! What dreams?"

"They're hard to describe, Jimmy. I kept having these dreams—even more so recently—about places I have never seen before and these two men. The guy who thought I was someone else the other day, he looked just like one of the men in those strange dreams."

"Maybe it's just a strange coincidence," Jimmy offered.

"Maybe it is," Nadia agreed. "But it still disturbs me somehow, especially when he insisted I was this other woman. He kept saying the name over and over."

"Do you remember the name?"

"Patty…Peta…I really can't think of it offhand. Maybe it will come later."

"About as far from 'Nadia' as one as one can get, if that is the case," Jimmy nodded.

"Yes, it is. But let's discuss that appearance I have later today instead, all right?"

"Sure. Actually, it's this evening; there's some wrestling thing going on up at the arena. Just the usual stuff. Give away stuff, get the crowd psyched up for the event, things like that."

"As usual, doesn't sound too difficult," Nadia managed a smile.

"Well, you've already been a hit at the car show and the hockey playoffs," Jimmy grinned back. "I figured I may as well send you to do something that is off the beaten path."

"Good for you. And if it's anything I like, it's something challenging that is off the beaten path."


	12. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

"Earth to Nadia," Jessica said that evening when they were in the broadcast booth reserved for them near the backstage area at the arena. She had just returned from interviewing some of the talent.

"What? Oh, I'm sorry, Jess; were you saying something?" Nadia wondered.

"Not really, honey, but something's got your attention. You've been staring a hole in that direction for the last ten minutes."

"It's him," Nadia said flatly.

"It's _who?"_

"That guy; the one who accosted me at the bus stop after I filled in for Bonnie. He kept insisting I was this other person even though I tried to convince him I wasn't. God only knows what might have happened if Gino hadn't seen what was happening."

"Are you sure? Jimmy told some of us about that. Talk about weird. Then again, there are some screwy fans out there."

Nadia nodded. "It's him. I don't think this counts as a 'screwy fan,' though."

"It must have bothered you enough to keep an eye on the man."

"I don't know….the whole thing was just _strange." _

She didn't tell Jessica about the dreams and how Paul had resembled one of the men in them.

"Well, if it's any comfort, we're far enough back that nobody can spy either of us, at least not right away. They'd have to be near our area, and since the show is about to get underway, we're going to have some down time for awhile before we do the post-show stuff with the fans out at the truck."

"At least it won't be freezing like it was last time," Nadia smiled.

"Thank God for small miracles!" Jessica agreed. "Come on, girl; we have some down time, so let's go enjoy some of the show."

_About half an hour later:_

The guys had defeated Santino Marella & Carlito by disqualification; nevertheless, it was still a win.

Paul had finished his shower and dressed in his street clothes while Brian was off somewhere goofing around. Word had it that "Nadia" was in the building and Paul considered himself lucky at that point that he had decided to bring along the few photos he'd had of himself and Petra.

If it was indeed true that she was present somewhere backstage, he was prepared. This time, however, he would be a little more subtle in approaching the woman if he by some chance spotted her; maybe getting her somewhere to talk.

One way or another, Paul would make her remember at least _something._

_Later that night:_

Jessica and Nadia had helped pack up the area where they had worked earlier backstage before heading out to the broadcast truck to catch some fans post-show. This was one of the things Nadia had enjoyed the most about these types of appearances; chatting to excited fans.

She and Jess were bombarded for about half an hour following the show before the truck crew had to pack up and return the truck back to the station on time.

Nadia had planned to ride back with Jessica once they had wrapped up; Nadia realized she had forgotten her bag backstage. She returned to the area to retrieve the bag from the locked area where she had put it earlier before heading back to the lot where Jessica had parked.

"Nadia!" a male voice called.

She froze for a moment; the voice was familiar. _It was him again._

Nadia wasn't sure whether to call for security or just stay around to find out what this man wanted, but at least this time, he'd called her by the right name.

_But what did he want with her? And **why?**_


	13. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

"I'm glad I found you," Paul said.

"Well, here I am," Nadia replied nervously. "Was there something you needed?"

"I was wondering if you were busy the rest of the night."

"I'm actually heading back to meet my ride to take me home. Why?"

"I'd like to chat with you for awhile if it's okay."

Nadia sighed. "I suppose it will be all right. But I need to tell my friend that I will be staying for a bit."

"Sure, no problem. I'll be right here."

Nadia then went out to the lot to find Jessica, telling her and the crew that had been finishing up that something had come up and she was going to hang around for awhile before heading back inside to see Paul.

_A short time later:_

"I'm glad you agreed to this," he said.

"It must be important for you to track me down again," Nadia responded.

"Do you mind if I show you some things?"

"Of course not. Go right ahead."

Paul then pulled out the photographs that he had brought along for just this purpose, laying them in front of Nadia one at a time.

"What are these?" she asked.

"Just some old pictures. I was curious as to anyone in them look familiar to you."

Nadia studied the photos for several minutes before she spoke again.

"Well, you're definitely in a lot of them," she nodded. "And a couple of them, this lady almost looks like me."

"Perhaps because maybe she is you."

Nadia shook her head. "I doubt that. I don't recognize anything in these. And everyone has at least one look alike in the world."

"_None _of these look familiar at all?" he asked.

"No, I can't say that it does. Look, what are you getting at? Did you bring me here to insist I'm someone else again like you tried to do this afternoon?"

"No, that isn't it at all. I actually wanted to apologize for what happened earlier, for one, and maybe start from the beginning."

Nadia softened a little. "All right, I guess I could do that. I don't think I ever caught your name, though."

He smiled, thinking this plan could work after all. "Paul," he replied.

"Well, you obviously know I'm Nadia."

"Of course. So….._Nadia, _how long have you been in Ohio?"

"To be honest, I guess most of my life. I really don't remember much. My childhood and things; they're really not that clear. As far as my parents are concerned, I'm not really sure where they are, or if I can even remember them."

_They're dead_, Paul thought. _Pet, your mom and dad both passed from cancer within two years of each other. _

He didn't have the guts to say it out loud; he figured now that he actually had 'Nadia' talking, she could remember something eventually, even if it was the most minor thing.

"All I really remember are the Richards', which of course, when I was in the hospital," she added, jarring him out of his thoughts.

"Hospital?" he asked. It was a good place to start.

"Yeah," Nadia replied, nodding. "I must have had some kind of accident; they told me these people stopped to help me and took me to the hospital. I really can't recall what exactly happened, but this couple came to visit me with their son and said they were the ones that found me. George and Julie Richards. They gave me a place to live for awhile before I got a job at the station–their son Rick kind of helped me get it–and then I was able to get my own place. The rest is history, as they say. Sorry that I can't really tell you much more."

"So you still see them?"

"George and Julie? Of course, at least twice a week, if I'm not on the phone with them. And of course, Rick and I hang out a lot."

"Really?" Paul asked, barely containing the shred of jealousy that threatened to come to the surface. "And how does _he_ figure in?"

Nadia couldn't help but smile. "He's my best friend; there's no hanky panky between us or anything like that. He's dating a very nice girl, Caroline. She's totally great for him."

He relaxed. "Oh. Sounds like a pretty decent guy."

She nodded again. "He is. I think I all but owe both him and his parents my life. God only knows what may have happened to me if they hadn't come along."

Paul had to agree; the idea of what may have been had these people not found Petra made him shudder inside. At least he knew now someone was looking after her.

In the meantime, he had yet another full day to work on her. Would she even be able to remember _anything_ about her past life in that time frame?


	14. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13**

"I really don't know why you're going through all this trouble for just me when there are so many lovely young girls around," Nadia said. "But there is one thing I did want to ask you."

Paul perked up a little. "Sure, what?"

"You've seemed terribly fascinated with me since we saw each other when I was going to my bus stop this afternoon. You called me by another name. Is there…..is there any chance you lost someone that perhaps resembled me?"

He paused for a moment, wondering if it was wise to bring up the whole thing about Pet being missing for a little over a year, then decided on a way to move in for the kill.

"Actually," Paul began, "her name was Petra. She went missing over a year ago. She looked just like you; the same hair and eyes; you're even built like her and about the same height."

"Petra," Nadia repeated, obvious the name meant nothing to her. "For some reason, I had Patty or Peta in mind when I tried to think of what you called me earlier when I mentioned it to my friend Jessica."

"Well, her friends called her either Pet or Petty. Maybe that is what you were trying to think of."

She nodded. "Perhaps so. It makes sense anyway. But was she your wife? What happened to her? Was she kidnapped or something?"

"She was my girlfriend, and no, she wasn't kidnapped or anything like that, at least that I know of. We kind of had a….a disagreement of sorts, and then the next thing I knew, Pet had walked out the door with only the clothes on her back and she hadn't been seen since."

_Until now, _he thought. _It was just getting her to remember._

"That's a terrible thing," Nadia replied gently. "I just hope after all this time, she isn't dead, at least for both your sake and hers."

"I doubt that she is. Nadia, have you ever been to Texas?" _There, another thing to get out there, _Paul thought.

She thought deeply for a few moments, knitting her eyebrows. "No, I can't say I have, at least I don't remember. Why?"

"I was just curious, I mean with your job and all, you have to go places, right?"

Nadia smiled. "Well, yes, but usually it's around Cincinnati or Cleveland areas. Maybe an occasional trip to Pennsylvania or places like that for a convention or something. That's basically it."

She then grew quiet again before looking up and smiling once more. "I think I know you now!"

Paul filled up with hope. "You do?"

She nodded, then pulled something out of her bag; it had been the program Jessica had left behind and Nadia meant to give her once they'd gotten back to the station. "Yes. You're in here, page fifty-seven."

He barely hid his disappointment. "Oh….yeah. Kind of took you awhile, huh?"

"I'm sorry; I don't go to many things like this or watch a lot of TV."

_You never were big on TV watching, Pet, _he thought. _At least she had **that** part right._

"I guess that explains it then," he managed a smile.

Nadia then spied something else he'd pulled out of his bag. Staring curiously, she commented on the brush that lay there.

"That's an odd brush for a man to use, isn't it?" She then caught herself. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to come across as rude."

"Um, no; actually that was Pet's favorite brush. I kind of carry it……for good luck."

"And that she comes home," Nadia added, not recognizing it.

"That too, and for some reason now, I have a feeling that may be sooner than anyone thinks."


	15. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14**

"_Nothing _at all?" Brian asked later that night.

"Not a damn thing," Paul sighed. "She didn't recognize herself in the pictures and she didn't even recognize the brush. What the hell is it going to take?"

"I know Windsor said something like this would happen, but damn, I didn't think she would be this far gone. Dude, you sure that last fight you had with Petty wasn't worse than you let on?"

"What, _I'm_ being blamed again? First, the cops think I did something with her, Windsor thought I was a nut job at first, I get an assassination type letter from one of her nieces, and now _this?"_

"Calm down; I'm not blaming anyone, just thinking out loud."

"Next time, keep that shit to yourself."

"Damn, you are on edge. Anyway, there's got to be a way to have her remember _something."_

"To be honest, Midget, I'm kind of out of ideas. I don't think I'm going to get anywhere."

"Don't doubt yourself yet, my man. You already had her talking earlier, so it's clear that even though she doesn't remember you, she _did_ trust you enough to hang around and tell you some things. They may not have made sense, but it's progress."

"Come to think of it, you have a good point there. You know what? I may stay over the next couple of days since we're off anyway. Maybe work on her some more. Like you said, Spank, she's bound to remember even the smallest thing eventually."

_Meanwhile:_

The dreams came again.

Nadia hadn't had them in quite some time, but tonight they had come back. The same men in the same unfamiliar surroundings. The image of the darker man had jarred her awake, and she couldn't get back to sleep.

At that point, she was almost afraid to; instead, Nadia had grabbed a small tablet out of the bedside drawer, writing down everything she remembered.

Something else had also come to her. Thinking back to earlier that evening, she recalled the photographs her new friend had shown her, though Nadia couldn't really understand why looking at them bothered her a little more than she had let on.

The girl in those pictures had looked like her; as a matter of fact, she thought at the time that they could have been twins.

_Did I have a twin sister somewhere, or even a sibling at all? _Nadia wondered. _Was this what that man was trying to tell her?_

She didn't remember her childhood or even where her parents were, but if that girl in the pictures was indeed a relative, perhaps she could get some answers once and for all.

Maybe.

But why the dreams? And why were the same people and the same places in them each time?

It was all so confusing to her.

Nadia went out to the kitchen to make some herbal tea, pondering over the evening's events as well as the dream that had woken her from an otherwise deep sleep. She hadn't really told anyone about them, and decided that perhaps it was time she did.

Maybe, she thought, Rick could make sense of all of this.

Nadia decided to call him in the morning to see if he was free for lunch before both had to be on the air for their respective jobs. Rick always was a good sounding board and voice of reason.


	16. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15**

The man that had accosted Nadia yesterday afternoon and then she was with last night still stuck in her mind the following morning.

She did know him…not just from that picture in Jessica's program book, but from somewhere else.

The question now was _where _she'd actually seen him before.

_The dreams. He was also in the one she had last night that had woken her._

But why did she dream about him long before yesterday? None of it was making sense…or was it?

Was he a brother? A cousin? Some other relative or someone sent to find her to take back to her relatives?

Why had he been so interested in her to the point that she had not only been called by another name yesterday afternoon, but also shown photographs that very same night? As far as she knew, Nadia had been a total stranger to him, outside of the initial mistaken identity, up to that point.

She was convinced now that it was either Paul or someone that resembled him that was the dark man in her strange dreams. But who was the short, blond man, and where did he fit in?

Nadia and Paul had exchanged cell numbers before they parted ways the night before with him stating he would be in Cincinnati for a couple of more days; perhaps if he wasn't too busy that afternoon, she'd try to get some answers of her own.

But as for this morning, she was about to do something she'd never done before, and that was to consult a pyschic. Maybe he or she could make sense of this whole thing first before Nadia moved forward to the next level.

She then picked up her purse and headed for the door; the last thing she wanted was to be late for this particular appointment.

_Meanwhile:_

Paul had checked his phone; there still wasn't any sign that Nadia/Pet had called.

"Dude, chill; she's either busy or just forgot to call you. Then again, she might have stuff to do and might get back to you later."

"You think it would be too forward if I checked in with her?"

"Perhaps. Maybe wait till she gets hold of you. Keep in mind, dude, at this point, she's most likely seeing you as some guy she just met yesterday."

"Yeah, good point. I just wish this had a different outcome."

"We can't expect instant results after over a year. Look at it this way, at least she didn't take off on you last time. That alone could be some progress."

"Well, we only have a couple extra days left here. I say you better get busy later."

_Early afternoon:_

The psychic had made some sense of Nadia's dreams, or as much of an explanation as Nadia could figure.

Something about a past life. What did that mean?

Nadia couldn't even remember much of her _recent _past, let alone something of a past life. Though the dream had been interpreted, she still had many unanswered questions.

Maybe she'd contact Paul once she got home.


	17. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16**

"You've been quiet," Paul observed.

Nadia shook her head and smiled. "I'm sorry, but something's been bothering me a little bit."

"Nothing serious, I hope."

"Well, actually, I got to thinking about some things from last night."

He perked up a little. "Oh?"

"Yes. I do hope you don't find me to be an odd duck, but the photo in that program of my friend's isn't the only place I recognized you from."

More hope built up inside him. "It wasn't?"

She shook her head again. "Strange as it sounds, there have been these dreams I've been having for the last several months, and you look just like one of the men that have been in them."

Paul couldn't believe his ears; was this the beginning of her finally remembering the previous life she'd had prior to a year ago?

He held his composure, probing gently. "So…..these dreams, what are they about?"

"It's hard to explain," Nadia replied. "They're always the same; places I'd never been before, or at least not remembering being there anyway. Then there are these two men; the one that looks just like you and also a short, blond man. It's all very strange."

_Oh my God! _Paul thought. _She could be starting to remember and not realize it yet. She could be dreaming about things at home in Texas. The other guy could be **Brian…**_

A plan then popped into his mind. "Nadia, is there any chance you could get off work for a few days? Maybe I can help you sort all of this out."

She thought a moment. "Come to think of it, I do have some personal and vacation time coming. Do you honestly think you can make sense of all of this?"

"Perhaps I could if you came back to me."

"To Texas or wherever you're from?"

"Yes."

Nadia gave a small sigh. "Well, if you think that could help, I suppose it couldn't hurt to take a few days off."

_Later that afternoon:_

"Spank, you aren't going to believe this shit!"

"Let me guess, she still doesn't remember anything," Brian sighed.

"Perhaps she is," Paul replied. "She told me about these dreams she's had for awhile. Here's the kicker of it, though. There's two guys in them that she described that fit both of us to a T."

Brian sat up. "_What? _Dude, I may not be an expert, but maybe something in her subconscious may have been jarred or something. Did she say anything else?"

"Not too much, except about places she doesn't remember being in addition to the two guys in the dreams. She saw a psychic, but all she got out of that was something about a past life."

"Considering the present situation, they could have been onto something too, PL."

"Yeah, exactly my thought. But she's also agreed to go home with me for a few days."

"_Huh?"_

"Get your mind out of the gutter," Paul replied. "I was thinking if I brought her home, something could jar her memory one way or another."

"You honestly think that could work? That's a pretty big gamble, PL."

"At this point, it's a gamble I'm willing to take."


	18. Chapter 17

**Chapter 17**

"It's very beautiful here," Nadia said when they arrived in Austin two days later

"Yes, it is," Paul agreed. "I've been here all my life."

"Well, I can see why you would never leave unless you have to."

"Right," he grinned. "Speaking of which, we have a show up in San Antonio this weekend and I wondered since you got a couple weeks' leave, you'd like to come with me."

"Sure…I guess I could. You've been very kind to let me stay with you, so I can't see why I can't take in at least one show."

"Good," he smiled, hoping she would eventually recognize something.

"Do you always drive so slow?" Nadia wondered out of the blue.

" I drive in the _normal zone_," Paul replied. "If it says 55 mph, I am driving _55 miles per hour; _not 53 mph, not 57 mph."

"I wish more people had your common sense," she nodded, "but I bet you drive other people nuts with it, huh?"

He couldn't help but laugh. "To put it mildly, yes."

"Well, don't let it bother you."

"There isn't much that bothers me, to be honest."

Nadia then spotted something, wondering where she had seen it previously before she realized it looked like a creek that had been in one of her dreams.

The look on her face wasn't lost on Paul, who secretly hoped that perhaps something was coming back to her.

"Everything okay?" he finally asked.

"Yes, I was just curious about that over there."

"Probably one of the most beautiful creeks in town," Paul smiled.

"I won't argue with that," Nadia said, nodding, but still wondering why such a thing would be appearing in a dream when she knew she had never been here before?

"We're almost home," he announced.

"Already?"

"Yeah, not bad for a guy that is a slow driver," he joked.

"And a safe one," she smiled over at him. "Speaking of which, I really can't say why, but I feel very safe with you."

He perked up. "Yeah?"

Nadia nodded as they arrived and then got out of the car. "It's strange, but it's almost like I have known you before even though we really didn't meet until a few days ago."

_We have known each other before_, he wanted to say, but kept the thought to himself, carrying Nadia's bag into the apartment as she followed.

"Sorry for the mess," he called out. "It's not like I'm home much."

"That's all right," Nadia answered, looking around at the array of action figures and bric a brac before spotting the frogs, totally fascinated with them.

"I see you spied my roommates," Paul laughed when he came back out.

"Yes," she smiled. "I'm sure they take less maintanance than a dog would."

"Pretty much," he nodded, hoping something in the place would at least look familiar. He was sure the creek they had passed on the way home had; perhaps some small thing here would too.

"I'm going to have to order something for dinner," he added. "I haven't had a chance to get any shopping done."

"Perfectly understandable," Nadia replied. "I'm surprised you know if you're coming or going most of the time, considering your schedule."

"Yeah, but how many guys get to travel the world doing what they love and get paid for it?"

"Very true! So when did you say that show coming up was again?"

"Saturday night and Sunday afternoon," he answered. "We'll be driving up to San Antonio."

"Sounds like a plan to me."

"And instead of the usual way for me, I thought we'd leave a little earlier and uh….take a 'scenic' route of sorts so you can see some more of the sights."

_And hopefully remember something, _Paul thought silently.


	19. Chapter 18

**Chapter 18**

The next day, both Nadia and Paul rose to a glorious morning; after breakfast, he had suggested a walk along the creek they had seen the day before.

It was going to be a hot day so after her shower, Nadia chose to wear a cotton halter neck top which tied at the back of the neck and in the small of the back; to go with it she picked out a pair of simple shorts that hugged her curves, and finished off with a pair of flat walking shoes.

For him dressing was simple; shorts and a T shirt with a pair of running shoes.

He went down stairs and saw her lazily applying sunscreen to her arms and legs. She looked fantastic; her fair skin smooth and beautiful as he had remembered.

"I don't want to get burned," Nadia explained with a smile when she saw him. "Not all of us are naturally tan like you."

When they got to the park where the creek was located, the closer parking area to the trails had been closed for repairs, leaving Paul no option but to use the lot a considerable distance away.

Swearing in Spanish, he found an empty spot and parked.

"It's not really that bad," Nadia told him. "It will still be a good walk."

Paul had gotten a little ahead of her as they started up the trail, leading Nadia up to the area where the creek was; there was also a little picnic shelter.

"Just gorgeous!" Nadia sighed.

"Told you this was one of the most beautiful creeks in town," he grinned. "I think I'll do a bit of a run if you can keep up."

"Try me," she laughed. "I can do a fast walk."

There weren't many joggers or walkers out that day. He was covered in sweat by the time they had finished, but he ran easily, not seeming out of breath at all.

She was feeling a bit grungy herself, even though she had only been walking. Once they had finished, they began heading to the car to go home and shower again when they heard thunder in the distance.

"Oh no," Nadia groaned.

"Well, we were leaving anyway," Paul reassured her. "Let's see if we can make it to the car before all hell breaks loose."

Seconds later, fat drops of rain started pelting down around them.

"Guess that idea is shot," Nadia said as Paul dragged her to the picnic shelter, an open, brick structure with two picnic tables.

They had barely made it into shelter just as the storm broke. Lightning flashed, thunder clapped, followed by a downpour.

Paul's T-shirt, shoes and shorts were soaked. He sat down on the table next to Nadia, where he began prying off his running shoes; between the unexpected downpour and obviously nothing causing the woman to regain her memory, it took plenty of effort to hide his frustration.

"My God, you're soaked," Nadia said sympathetically. "At least get that shirt off."

Paul had placed his hand on her left knee, patting it and not answering her. Her legs parted even as she felt a little uneasy before he removed his hand and pulled off his T-shirt.

"Better?" he asked with a mischievous grin and another idea in mind.

Before Nadia had time to react, Paul took her in his arms and kissed her deeply. She found herself responding against her will; gently pushing her tongue into his mouth and then entwining it around his, enticing him to follow her tongue with his which he did entering her mouth.

Suddenly realizing what he had been doing, he pulled back quickly.

"I'm sorry; I went over the line. I didn't--"

She put her fingers on his lips to stop him. "No," she protested. "I want you to do it again. Come on, Paul; it isn't like we haven't done this many times before."

He was taken aback. "What? Nadia, I--"

She let go a healthy laugh. "_Nadia?_ Who's that? Did you get hit on the head so hard at your last match or something where it made you forget _my_ name?"

"Petra…." he began cautiously.

"Last time I checked….but what are we doing here and how long have we been here?"

He sighed. "I think I better take you home once this storm lets up. We have some things to discuss."


	20. Chapter 19

**Chapter 19**

"Dude!" Paul said excitedly on the phone that evening, "you won't believe it!"

"Let me guess, she _still _doesn't remember anything," Brian replied. "You dragged her ass all the way back here for nothing, and now she's on her way back to Ohio."

"On the contrary. There's been a breakthrough."

"_What? _Don't fuck with me!"

"I'm not," Paul responded. "We went for a walk down near the creek before the storm hit. Anyway, we were in the picnic shelter, and I had this wild ass idea to kiss her—"

"Paul, Jesus, you horndog!"

"Will you shut up and let me finish? We didn't go that far. Anyway, after the kiss, I kind of caught myself and apologized, only to have her say, 'Come on, Paul; it isn't like we haven't done this many times before.' And then when I called her Nadia, she wanted to know who Nadia was and if I hit my head one time too many."

"You mean she's—"

"I have my Petty back," Paul said proudly.

"Does she have any idea what happened the past year?"

"We talked about that for a long time tonight. Pet was a bit upset at first, but I assured her that I had been looking for her the entire time and I'd brought her home."

"So what's going to happen with the situation in Ohio?"

"Well, since we're not on any cards next week, I was thinking of taking her back and wrapping things up. The last thing I need is my ass in trouble because some people up in Cincinnati thinking I kidnapped Pet or something. In the meanwhile, she's staying with me, but sleeping in the spare room until things get back together for sure."

"Did anyone get in touch with her shrink?" Brian wondered.

"I did," Paul responded. "And he couldn't even believe it. But the best thing now is that she's alive and the idea that I had something to do with her being gone this long can finally be put to rest. Remind me to thank Tom Windsor royally, being he played a big part in all of this."

"Considering the outcome," Brian agreed, "that may have been the best money you ever spent."

_Later that night:_

Paul had been asleep when he felt something pressed against his body and arms around him.

He smiled, forgetting the events of the entire day for the time being. It had felt good to have Petra in bed with him again.

"You okay, Pet?" he asked softly without turning around.

"I'm….sorry. It's just I don't sleep well in a new place," she said softly. "I can go back to the other room…"

"No, no, stay here," he said, finally turning over and taking her in his arms. "It's okay; you're home now."

"Am I?" she wondered. "And was I really in Ohio for that long of a period?"

"Yes, you were. I was doing everything to get you back and to make you remember. We have to go back, though. There's people up there that were looking after you and they have to know the truth."

"What did I do up there again?"

"You had a radio show. They called you Nadia."

"So that's why you called me Nadia at first at the park," Petra replied. "I thought maybe you had met someone else like me or something."

He kissed her. "Never, baby. I wasn't going to rest until I either found you or found out what happened to you."

"I'm sorry to put you through all that. I don't even remember what we had argued about—"

Paul shushed her. "It doesn't matter now. I don't even remember what the hell it was about. The important thing is you're back with me and you weren't harmed. It's going to take some time to get things back to normal, but you have a lot of good people both here and in Ohio that will no doubt help you. I will definitely be with you through all this too."

"There's just one more thing I need to know," Petra said.

"Sure, what is it?"

"Did I have another man while I was in Ohio?"

"A boyfriend? No, but you had a very good male friend named Rick who is a news anchor. His parents found you roaming the highway and took you to get help. From what I hear, they're all very nice people, which is why we have to go back and explain all of this."

Petra nodded. "All right. I can do that."

"Good girl. But first, we need to go to sleep."

"Can I stay here?" she asked.

"As long as you need to, baby. Actually, I rather that you did."


	21. CONCLUSION

**CONCLUSION:**

Gradually, with the help of her therapist and the love and support of Paul, Petra had resumed her normal life over the coming year. They had gone back to Ohio to tell the Richards exactly what had happened, with George and Julie being more supportive than ever and continuing to be a very large part of her life.

Her friendship with Rick also deepened; in addition, he had found her story so fascinating, he asked both Pet and Paul if he could do a feature on them during the evening newscast. Rick's producer had been crazy about the idea, and as a favor to a friend, as well as being grateful for all the Richards had done for her, Petra agreed.

Jimmy had wanted her to stay on at the station, but she had turned him down gently; fans knew her as Nadia, and it was best that things stood that way. She had aired her final segment only hours before she was to be interviewed by Rick, and would be heading back to Texas for good the next day.

Though he was sad to be losing her, Jimmy had contacted a station in Austin that he knew would need an weekend personality and gave Petra a glowing reference, sending the tape of her final show in Cincinnati. The program director had been so impressed, Petra had been hired on the spot.

She was not only thrilled to be back in the new vocation that she found herself loving, but also would fill her weekends when Paul was on the road. As in Cincinnati when she was known as Nadia, she too became a popular radio figure in her new post.

A year after she had come home, Petra discovered she was pregnant and gave birth seven months later to a daughter, whom she and Paul named Nadia, the baby a perfect image of her father. Happy to realize one of her dreams of becoming a mother, wherever Petra went, her baby had gone along, even to her job, where little Nadia had charmed everyone.

The Richards had come down from Ohio for the birth and were asked to be the little girl's godparents, an honor they were thrilled to have.

Petra still hadn't had a clear picture of all the events in her life that had happened during the year she had disappeared and ended up in Cincinnati, but none of that mattered now. She was happier and more settled in life at the present than she had ever remembered throughout her life, and now wouldn't have it any other way.

_She said she needed a break  
A little time to think  
But then she went to Cleveland  
With some guy named Leelan  
That she met at the bank_

There's nothing wrong with Ohio  
Except the snow and the rain  
I really like Drew Carey  
_And I'd love the Scene, the Rock n' Roll Hall of Fame_

So when your done doing whatever  
And when your through doing whoever  
You know Denton County will be right here waiting for you...  
  
_Come back to Texas  
Its just not the same since you went away  
Before you lose your accent  
And forget all about the Lonestar State  
There's a seat for you at the rodeo  
And I've got every slow dance saved  
Besides the Mexican food sux north of here anyway_

I think I made a mistake  
Its not that easy to take  
She went to make a deposit  
Then she cleaned out her closet  
Guess I'll sit here and wait

For her to come back home (I'd wish you come back home)  
It shouldn't take very long (so long so long)  
I bet she misses the sunrise  
And Mrs. Baird's fruit pies but I could be wrong

So when your done doing whatever  
And when your through doing whoever  
You know Denton County will be right here waiting for you...  
_  
Come back to Texas  
Its just not the same since you went away  
I bet you missed your exit  
And drove right on through the Lone Star State  
There's a seat for you at the rodeo  
And I've got every slow dance saved  
Besides the Mexican food sux north of here anyway_

Troy Aikmen wants you back  
Willie Nelson wants you back  
NASA wants you back  
And the Bush twins want you back  
And Pantera wants you back  
And Blue Bell wants you back

I got a premonition  
I'm taking a petition  
And the whole state's gonna sign

Come back to Texas  
Its just not the same since you went away  
Before you lose your accent  
And forget all about the Lone Star State  
_There's a seat for you at the rodeo  
And I've got every slow dance saved_

Come back to Texas  
Its just not the same since you went away  
Before you lose your accent  
And forget all about the Lone Star State  
There's a seat for you at the rodeo  
And I've got every slow dance saved  
Besides the Mexican food sux north of here anyway  
Besides the Mexican food sux north of here anyway  
Besides the Mexican food sux north of here anyway

_--_

"_Ohio (Come Back to Texas)" _by Bowling for Soup, 2005.


End file.
